Petunia plant named &#39;sunbelkupapi&#39;

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a  Petunia  plant having decumbent growth habit. The petunia plant has abundant branching, particularly with respect to secondary branching, and great profusion of blooms with the entire of plant remaining of bloom for a considerable period of time. The flowers are single and very small with the petals having a deep purplish-pink color with a yellowish-white eye. The bottom color of corolla throat is brilliant yellow-green. The outside color of corolla throat is light greenish-yellow. The plant exhibits high resistance to rain, heat, drought and disease such as powdery mildew.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Petunia hybrida/Petunia Plant

cv. ‘Sunbelkupapi’

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The Petunia is a very popular plant that is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few small-flowered Petunia varieties, such as, ‘Sunbelkuopi’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,715), ‘Sunbelkubu’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,279), and ‘Sunbelkuho’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,278). These Petunias are of the decumbent type and have a very low plant height, abundant branching, and a high resistance to heat, rain and disease. Accordingly, this invention is aimed at obtaining a new Petunia variety having deep purplish-pink petal color with a yellowish-white eye, and very small flowers combined with the above features.

The new variety of Petunia plant according to this invention originated from the crossing with the Petunia variety named ‘CBPS09’ as the female parent, and the Petunia variety named ‘CBPS04’ as the male parent.

First of all, controlled crossings were conducted between the Petunia variety ‘P49’, as the female parent, and the Petunia variety ‘CBP04’, as male the parent, and the Petunia variety ‘CBP04’, as the female parent, and the Petunia variety ‘P38’, as the male parent, during March 1997 at Yokaichi-shi Shiga, Japan. In this connection, the petunia varieties ‘P49’, ‘CBP04’, ‘P38’, ‘CBPS09’ and ‘CBPS04’ are lines bred by us and are not filed in Japan or any other country. From each crossing, 40 seedlings were obtained and the Petunia varieties ‘CBPS09’ and ‘CBPS04’ were selected from each crossing, in view of their decumbent type growth habit, abundant branching and flower color, at the end of December 1997. Then the controlled crossing between the Petunia variety ‘CBPS09’, as the female parent, and the Petunia variety ‘CBPS04’, as the male parent, was conducted in 1998. From this crossing, 400 seedlings were obtained and 10 seedlings were selected, in October 1998, at Yokaichi-shi, Shiga, Japan. The 10 selected plants were propagated by cuttings and then grown in pots in both a greenhouse and in a field at Yokaichi-shi, Shiga, Japan from April to October 2000. The botanical characteristics of the selected plants were examined using the similar varieties ‘Sunbelkupi’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,287) and ‘Sunbelochipi’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,355) for comparison.

As a result, one plant was selected and it was concluded that the selected new Petunia variety is distinguishable from any other variety whose existence is known to us. The new variety was asexually reproduced using shoot cuttings and shown to be uniform and stable in its characteristics. This new variety of Petunia plant was named ‘Sunbelkupapi’.

The new variety of the present invention can be readily distinguished from the ‘Sunbelkupi’ through an observation of the flower coloration. The new ‘Sunbelkupapi’ variety of the present invention forms deep purplish-pink flowers with a yellowish-white eye, the ‘Sunbelkupi’ variety forms vivid reddish-purple flowers.

In the following description, the color information is in accordance with The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England.

The main botanical characteristics of the comparison variety ‘Sunbelkupi’ are as follows:

-   Plant:     -   -   Growth habit.—Decumbent.         -   Plant height.—Approximately 6.0 cm.         -   Spreading area of the plant.—The stem expands to length of             approximately 18 cm from the base.         -   Blooming period.—April to late October in the southern Kanto             area, Japan. The plant shape does not change throughout this             period. -   Stem:     -   -   Thickness.—Approximately 1.2 mm.         -   Pubescence.—Normal to sparse.         -   Branching.—Abundant with a superior brunching.         -   Length of internode.—Approximately 1.3 cm. -   Leaf:     -   -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Length.—Approximately 3.5 cm.         -   Width.—Approximately 1.0 cm.         -   Color.—R.H.S. 137B (Dark green).         -   Thickness.—Approximately 0.2 mm.         -   Pubescence.—Sparse.         -   Leaf attaching angle to stem.—Slanted upward to horizontal. -   Flower:     -   -   Facing direction.—Slanted upward to horizontal.         -   Type.—Single.         -   Shape.—Funnel-shaped, with five-fissures.         -   Shape of petal tip.—Rounded.         -   Waving of petal.—Weak.         -   Lobation of petal.—Shallow.         -   Diameter.—Approximately 2.8 cm.         -   Color.—Petal: R.H.S. 74A (Vivid reddish-purple).         -   Bottom color of the corolla throat.—R.H.S 3A (Bright             greenish-yellow).         -   Outside color of corolla tube.—R.H.S. D (Pale yellow-green)             with R.H.S. 152B (Dark olive-green) lines.         -   Reproductive organs.—1 normal pistil and 5 normal stamens.         -   Peduncle.—Approximately 0.7 mm in thickness, and             Approximately 1.8 cm in length.         -   Physiological and ecological characteristics.—High             resistance to heat, rain, drought and diseases such as             Powdery mildew. The resistance to heat and rain is very             strong.

COMPARISON TO PARENT VARIETIES ‘CPBS09’ AND ‘CBPS04’

The petal color of the parent variety ‘CBPS09’ is R.H.S. N74A without eye, whereas that of ‘Sunbelkupapi’ is R.H.S. 73A with white grouped colored (R.H.S. 155C) eye, and the length of the leaf of ‘CBS09’ is shorter than that of ‘Sunbelkupapi’.

The petal color of the parent variety ‘CBPS04’ is R.H.S. N74A with white group colored (R.H.S. 155C) eye and the length of the leaf of ‘CBS04’ is shorter than that of ‘Sunbelkupapi’.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

This new variety of Petunia plant ‘Sunbelkupapi’ has a decumbent growth habit with abundant branching, and forms single, very small deep purplish-pink flowers with a yellowish-white eye in a great profusion of blooms with the entire plant remaining in bloom for a considerable period of time. The plant has high tolerance to cold and heat, high resistance to diseases and rain.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The depicted plants had been reproduced by cuttings and were photographed during June while growing outdoors in pots at an age of approximately six months at Yokaichi-shi, Shiga, Japan.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of flowers and leaves of the new variety of Petunia plant ‘Sunbelkupapi’.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of flowers of the new variety of Petunia plant ‘Sunbelkupapi’.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The botanical characteristics of the new and distinct variety of Petunia plant named ‘Sunbelkupapi’ are as follows were observed during June at Yokaichi-shi, Shiga, Japan:

-   Plant:     -   -   Growth habit.—Decumbent.         -   Plant height.—Approximately 6.5 cm.         -   Spreading area of plant.—The stem extends to length of             approximately 30 cm from the base.         -   Time to initiate root development.—Approximately two weeks.         -   Blooming period.—April to late October in the southern Kanto             area, Japan. The plant shape does not change throughout this             period. -   Stem:     -   -   Color.—Near R.H.S. 144B.         -   Thickness.—Approximately 2.0 mm.         -   Pubescence.—Sparse.         -   Branching.—Abundant with the superior branching propensity,             especially secondary branches approximately 10 to 15 lateral             branches.         -   Length of internode.—Approximately 1.5 cm. -   Leaf:     -   -   Whole shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex shape.—Acute.         -   Base shape.—Attenuate.         -   Length.—Approximately 3.2 cm.         -   Width.—Approximately 1.1 cm.         -   Color.—Near R.H.S. 137A (Dark olive-green).         -   Thickness.—Approximately 0.3 mm.         -   Pubescence.—Sparse.         -   Leaf attaching angle to stem.—Slanted upward to horizontal.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Venation.—Central vein is conspicuous; lateral veins are not             visible, color.—Near R.H.S. 137C. -   Flower:     -   -   Facing direction.—Slanted upward.         -   Type.—Single.         -   Shape.—Funnel-shaped, with five-fissures.         -   Shape of petal tip.—Rounded.         -   Waving of petal.—Weak.         -   Petal texture.—Smooth.         -   Petal margin.—Entire.         -   Length of petal.—Approximately 1 cm.         -   Width of petal.—Approximately 1.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—Approximately 3.2 cm.         -   Bud color.—Near R.H.S. 137B.         -   Length of bud.—Approximately 2.0 cm.         -   Diameter of bud.—Approximately 0.5 cm.         -   Shape of bud.—Lenticular.         -   Color.—Petal: Upper side near R.H.S. 73A (Deep             purplish-pink), lower side near R.H.S. 155C; the eye color             is near R.H.S. 155C (yellowish-white). Bottom color of             corolla throat: near R.H.S. 7B (yellow group). Outside color             of corolla tube: near R.H.S. 7D (yellow group).         -   Length of corollar tube.—Approximately 2.0 cm. -   Sepals:     -   -   Color.—Near R.H.S. 137B.         -   Length.—Approximately 1.0 cm.         -   Width.—Approximately 0.3 cm.         -   Reproductive organs.—1 normal pistil and 5 normal stamens.             The stigma is club-shaped and R.H.S. 145A in coloration. The             style is approximately 8 mm in length and R.H.S. 145D in             coloration. The ovary is R.H.S. 145D in coloration. The             stamens commonly are of variable length from approximately             5.0 to 8.0 mm. Pollen is formed in a quantity that is             typical of Petunia hybrida and is near R.H.S.17A in             coloration.         -   Fertility.—Fertile but self-incompatible.         -   Peduncle.—Approximately 0.9 mm in thickness, and             approximately 1.5 cm in length. The texture is smooth.         -   Seeds.—R.H.S.N186A in coloration, approximately 0.6 mm in             diameter, and generally round. The quantity is typical of             Petunia hybrida.         -   Physiological and ecological characteristics.—High             resistance to heat, rain, drought and diseases such as             Powdery mildew. The resistance to heat and rain is very             strong. -   Blooming:

A bloom commonly lasts approximately 10 days on the plant. Pinching is not necessary to ensure continuous blooming; however, it does tend to enhance bloom production.

This new variety of Petunia plant is most suitable for flower bedding and potting, particularly in hanging pots or in planters, and is excellent for use as a ground cover. Pinching of old blossoms will enhance the formation of new blossoms. 

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant, substantially as herein illustrated and described. 